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'Iuith tuts @anni @Hina BENJAMIN F. TAF, OF GROTON JUNCTION, ASSIGNOR TOAMES PLOUGH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 68,5397, dated September 3, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHEEL-HUBS.

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TO ALL PERSONS TO WIIOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. TAFT, of Groton Junction, in the countyet' Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have made a new and usefulimprovement or invention, having reference to-.Wheel-Hubs; and.

do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the followingspecification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, ot`whiehFigure 1 is a top view,

Figures 2 and 3 are sections, and

Figure 4 is an end elevation of a wheel-hub provided with my invention.

In carrying out such invention I construct thebody or spoke-receivingpart A of the hub as an annulus of metal, concentric, and cast in onepiece,with a tube or sleeve, B. The said part A I form with a series ofmortiscs or spoke-receiving recesses a a a, arranged radially within it,and at equal distances asunder, each of such recesses being made to openout of one side of the annulus AL, If desirable, each of the saidrecesses may be wider transversely across its bottom than it istransversely across its mouth or top, or, in other words, of adove-tailed form, or it may be narrower at bottom than it is at top,instead of having its opposite sides parallel. An annular cap plate, C,cneirclcs the sleeve and abuts against one edge of each oi' thespoke-tenons when within thc mortises or recesses a a a, eachspoke-tenen being made to extend out of its recess or mortise, andbeyond that face of the hub part A which is next adjacent to the capplate C. Furthermore, such cap plate is provided with a series of lips,e e c, which project from one side of it at its periphery and so as tobridge over thc open spaces between the cap plate and the solid parts cld d of the hub that are between the spokes. These lips or bridges are toprevent water, dirt, or extraneous matters from getting between the capplate and the hub part A while the wheel may be in use. A series ofscrew-bolts, e c e e, go through the part A and the cap plate C, andhave nuts ffff screwed upon them where they project beyond the capplate. These nuts and screws serve to draw the cap plate closely againstthe severalspokes, so as to hold them iirmly in place in their sockets.

My invention saves the necessity of wedging the spokes in the hub andthe liabilityof the hub to be split by the wedges. llhe sleeve B is toreceive the axle of the carriage,'which is to extend longitudinally intoand go through such sleeve. rhe spokc-receiving part of the hub, whenmade of metal, viz, cast iron, for instance, becomes very strong, andadmits of the spokes being firmly litt-ed into its mortises. The capplate, by being forced against its spokes, (two of which are shown at SS, in fig. 2,) serves, after any shrinkage'ot` them, to tighten them intheir mortises, such beingr accomplished simply by screwing up the nuts.

I do not ela-im the arrangement and combination of the cap plate C andthe sleeve B with the hub part A, provided with spoke-receiving cavitiesor inortises, arranged within it as specified.

What I do claim as my invention or improvement is the combination aswell as the arrangement of the Series of lips or bridges e c, the capplate C, and the hub part A provided with the sleeve B, and thespokereceving cavities or mortiscs arranged within it, and with respectto the said lips, substantially in manner as herebefore specified, 'andas represented in the accompanying drawings.

B. F. TAFT.

Witnesses:

A. D. Sunless, MICHAEL RYNN.

